How I Met Your Mother

[LoudClearVoice]

I liked last night's episode. Although, I question where they're truly going with this Barney-Patrice thing. They're developing the Barney-Robin storyline which ultimately will reach its climax at the wedding (remember, Future Ted says it was the "wedding that went horribly wrong"). I feel like by this time, they should be focusing totally on Ted but yet just when we think we're getting something that's going to advance the overall story, we get nothing.

Last night's episode was pretty funny, albeit ridiculous. They need to kick it into high gear with Ted's storyline though or else meeting the mother is going to feel contrived.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Most of last night was completely ridiculous, some parts worked for me and others did not.

Lily's dad and Marshall's mom - Chris Elliott is my hero but the concept was horrible and the delivery was pretty bad. I did like the scene where it was revealed that Marshall had the baby while listening to his mom do baby talk. Maybe it's because I am a parent but I really appreciate the way they are treating Lily and Marshall's characters as parents this season but this was way too far of a jump.

Ted lending stuff out - stupid idea that really worked. I thought Ted really played this well. I even liked all of the periodically seeing the labels.

Robin searching for The Playbook - I get it, Robin is damaged and doing destructive things but this is another time she's gone too far and it feels flat. The whole thing was hard to buy.

The Correction Relationship - cool concept but hard to buy from Barney and not that much fun. I expect we may learn that we are seeing Patrice through the gang's eyes and not as she really looks. I don't know, I just like degenerate woman chasing Barney. Relationship Barney can be great but he isn't filthy penis Barney.

Again, funny stuff here and there with kind of lame stories. I'm not asking for the writers to push the Barney/Robin and Ted/Mother stuff too fast. Just keep me entertained and make the the big stuff pay off in the end. Overall I'm happy with this season but I can understand why others are complaining.

 

[SD619]

By this season's standard, the episode was really good. The Ted part of it was really good. I particularly enjoyed Lily and Marshall talk about how Ted needs to find someone. That really fit into their character as the parent-figures in the group. I really hope that they start concentrating more on Ted.

The Barney-Patrice part was definitely awkward. The relationship with Patrice makes Barney look so much out-of-character. One thing, did anyone else feel that Barney pulled off one of his magic tricks when he burnt 'The Playbook'?

Lastly, I hope that they never make Robin scream or Lily cry. The overacting is just horrible.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

One thing, did anyone else feel that Barney pulled off one of his magic tricks when he burnt 'The Playbook'?

It was totally a trick. There's no way The Playbook is gone forever. Or it will be revealed that the burned one was a copy or something.

I'm not asking for the writers to push the Barney/Robin and Ted/Mother stuff too fast. Just keep me entertained and make the the big stuff pay off in the end.

I'm just hoping that they don't force feed us everything regarding Ted and the mother in like the last 2 episodes. Gradual build up is fine but leading into the finale, which is presumably the wedding and the fateful meeting of Ted and the Mother, they need to have brought us to that point. Don't stuff it all in the last couple of episodes.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I loved the extended episode last night. The final page of the playbook idea was so LEGEN...... wait for it...... DARY.

Barney's proposal to Robin was even better than the proposal to Quinn. It all made so much sense when he went back revealed everything.

Loved the "jinx" thing too. Classic.

With the way the episode was going, I thought that "the mother" was going to be at the opening of Ted's building for some reason. I was expecting future ted to say kids, it turns out, your mother was at the opening of the GNB building or something like that.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Well I am lad that whole Robin- Barney thing is finally over because I didnt like season 8 premise from the sart where we knew that Barney is not going to end up with Quinn, that Victoria isnt "The Mother" and that Robin isnt going to end up with that guy from "Battlestar Galactica".

Overall quality of the show has gone to Hell. They are midly entertaining but jokes and gags are not that frequent as they used to be and they have to much focus on emotional stuff and lost focus oncomedic stuff.

Also, fuck them for what they've done to Marshall and Lily. They're unbearable.

Agreed. Marshal is my favorite character and somehow even he has managed to be unberable...

 

[jmt225]

This has been kind of... shit. It's like they're just going through the motions, like they can't figure out how to take the show through a 22 episode season without just bailing on any and all relevant stories for weeks at a time. I'm still watching, they usually tend to kick into a better level in the latter part of the season, but I'm getting bored quickly.

I don't have DVR, so I've been missing HIMYM in favor of Raw for weeks now and just got behind from watching it on the computer. I got home a little early from work today and decided fuck it... now's the time to catch up. And I just got done watching the last eight episodes.

Why am I'm telling you this? Well, like myself, you got into the show late by watching the DVDs. I really think that is how this show is supposed to be watched in order to fully enjoy it. I'm just now realizing it myself. Had I watched these last few episodes from week-to-week, I'd probably feel the same as you. But sitting here and spending the last 3 hours catching up... I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Just thought I'd share that with you. DVDs have spoiled us, my friend.

Anyway, I saw the Barney/Robin thing coming from a mile away. However, it was still very beautifully done, and the music choice was absolutely spectacular.

As you can all read in my old posts in this very thread, I was never for Robin and Barney ending up together, but after watching these episodes... I wouldn't mind it anymore. This time around it doesn't feel forced; it feels like they truly love each other and the chemistry is there between them. Also, Cobie Smulders looks as hot and gorgeous today as she did in the 1st season. She had trouble getting those looks back after having the baby, and last season she was in this butch phase that was a HUGE turn off, but man.... she looks fantastic right now. The Avengers is probably what got her ass in gear, lol.

But yeah... I'm in agreement that they need to start to really get the focus back to the Mother now. I hope there's nothing over dramatic between Barney and Robin leading up to the wedding like cold feet or any of that shit since we've seen it already. Just let everything go smooth sailing for them until the actual wedding day while giving more time to Ted's quest to find his soulmate. In fact, remember how Ted still needs to reveal to Robin that he broke up with Victoria for her? I see that happening on the wedding day when Robin calls him in the room with her before it begins, and that'll cause something big to happen leading Ted to the bus station. Definitely looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

But yeah... I'm in agreement that they need to start to really get the focus back to the Mother now. I hope there's nothing over dramatic between Barney and Robin leading up to the wedding like cold feet or any of that shit since we've seen it already. Just let everything go smooth sailing for them until the actual wedding day while giving more time to Ted's quest to find his soulmate. In fact, remember how Ted still needs to reveal to Robin that he broke up with Victoria for her? I see that happening on the wedding day when Robin calls him in the room with her before it begins, and that'll cause something big to happen leading Ted to the bus station. Definitely looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Remember, Future Ted told his kids that the wedding "went horribly wrong" so something does happen. I do think now that we're halfway through the final season, these last 10-12 episodes will be mostly about Ted and the mother. One thing to note is that Rachel Bilson (Cindy) is scheduled to return for at least one episode coming up. Remember, she is/was the mother's roommate so her return probably has something directly or indirectly to do with the mother. Also, I happened to notice that one of the episodes coming up is called "Band or DJ?" This is probably something about Barney and Robin planning their wedding and whether or not to have a band or DJ. Don't forget, the mother plays bass guitar AND she appears to have had a gig on the day/night of the wedding as she showed up at the train station with her guitar. Could the mother be in the wedding band that plays at Barney and Robin's wedding? Is that what breaks the ice between Ted and her? Maybe at the train station, he notices the guitar then puts two and two together and goes to talk to her about "the wedding that went horribly wrong."

 

[Nate DaMac]

I don't have DVR, so I've been missing HIMYM in favor of Raw for weeks now and just got behind from watching it on the computer. I got home a little early from work today and decided fuck it... now's the time to catch up. And I just got done watching the last eight episodes.

Why am I'm telling you this? Well, like myself, you got into the show late by watching the DVDs. I really think that is how this show is supposed to be watched in order to fully enjoy it. I'm just now realizing it myself. Had I watched these last few episodes from week-to-week, I'd probably feel the same as you. But sitting here and spending the last 3 hours catching up... I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Just thought I'd share that with you. DVDs have spoiled us, my friend.

That makes an awful of of sense. I'm actually a couple of weeks behind on the show right now and I don't think I'm going to watch them until the episodes build up for a bit. Unlike other shows like Breaking Bad where the longest I'll wait is about 30 minutes into the show just so I can fast forward through the commercials.

I am pretty sure that this was the first time I'd ever seen the season premier of HIMYM the night it aired. No wonder I'm so bummed on it.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Good interview from Carter Bays, talking about the season so far, the series itself, Barney and Robin, Ted's future: http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/12/18/how-i-met-your-mother-midseason-finale-post-mortem/

 

[jmt225]

Well, it looks like this isn't the final season after all...

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/exc...d-show-was-given-up-for-dead-until-11th-hour/

EXCLUSIVE: My news will be cheered by fans of the CBS comedy and follows the network logging a second consecutive Monday win in adults 18-49 and total viewers. For those keeping score, the hourlong winter finale of How I Met Your Mother (3.4/9) was up 6% from last week’s half-hour episode. That Monday lineup took a hit this fall facing competition from The Voice and suffering from the move of Two And A Half Men to Thursday, so it was important for CBS to secure HIMYM for another season - especially as another tough negotiation with Warner Bros for Two And A Half Men is coming up. Now HIMYM‘s 9th season is secure even if the network and the studio and the cast are keeping mum right now. (Meanwhile I stopped watching after Season 2 because I can’t stand not knowing who the mom is, dammit.) Of course there was drama aplenty culminating today when all the cast deals closed after hard work by agents and managers and lawyers and executives and after an 11th hour turnaround of Jason Segel who was set on bailing.

So here’s what happened: HIMYM is in the last year of its current license deal with the network, while the contracts of creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays and the cast are all up at the end of the season. Understandably, Thomas and Bays had requested a decision to be made by the end of this month because of the overarching mythology of the show, which needs to finally begin building toward that big mother reveal when an end date is set. As the clock kept ticking, activity on all three fronts stepped up between CBS and HIMYM producer 20th Century Fox TV as well as between 20th TV and Thomas-Bays and between the studio and reps for the series’ stars: Jason Segel, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan. It was well-known that Segel was the lone holdout with everyone else wanting to continue. After all, a virtual unknown when the show launched in 2005, he has a prolific film career now and gave the sitcom 8 seasons already. I learned tonight that Segel indeed “decided to bail and leave the cast hangung. But he just got turned around today at the last second. The show was literally dead.”

As for the cast, the HIMYM quintet is a very tight group, with the actors supporting each other. So it may have been a sign of camaraderie for Segel to agree to the final season. CBS has been very public about its desire to bring HIMYM for another season. (“We want the show to come back next year,” the network’s entertainment president Nina Tassler said in August.) 20th TV and Thomas & Bays also wanted another season. CBS and 20th TV both have a good track record in completing complex negotiations. CBS has been able to bring back Two And A Half Men, also from an outside studio (Warner Bros), several times in down-to-the-wire negotiations. And 20th TV has successfully renewed the deals with the casts of its top series after sometime contentious negotiations.

Looks like Jason Segel saved the day. I can understand him wanting to hold out though. I mean, his movie career is flourishing right now and I'm sure HIMYM is only holding him back from other great opportunities. But, he was loyal to the show and his friends. You have to respect that.

Anyway, I still have a glimmer of hope we get the reveal of the mother in the finale for this season and that next season shows us Ted getting her. Dragging him 'meeting' her for another whole season will fucking suck after all the build-up to this wedding and the bus station scene.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Well, it looks like this isn't the final season after all...

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/exc...d-show-was-given-up-for-dead-until-11th-hour/



Looks like Jason Segel saved the day. I can understand him wanting to hold out though. I mean, his movie career is flourishing right now and I'm sure HIMYM is only holding him back from other great opportunities. But, he was loyal to the show and his friends. You have to respect that.

Anyway, I still have a glimmer of hope we get the reveal of the mother in the finale for this season and that next season shows us Ted getting her. Dragging him 'meeting' her for another whole season will fucking suck after all the build-up to this wedding and the bus station scene.

I'm a little disappointed because, as much as I love the show, it's time for it to end. They've been leading us up to the wedding "a little ways down the road" and that fateful rainy night at the Farhampton train station so with Barney and Robin now engaged and 10 episodes left this season, how on Earth are they going to keep us interested for another 20+ episodes.

The only way I see this working is Ted meets the mother in the finale of Season 8 and then we get to see Ted and the mother next season with the series finale being Ted and the mother's wedding.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I enjoyed last night's episode. I think the focus is now completely back on Ted. I really don't see how they can do another season. Marshall and Lilly have run their course and after Barney and Robin are married, I don't see really where they could go with them for a whole season.

As for the big reveal last night, it was as many speculated: The Mother plays bass guitar in the wedding band that performs at Barney and Robin's wedding.

 

[jmt225]

I enjoyed last night's episode.

I thought the first 10 minutes or so were horrible. But then the rooftop scene between Ted and Lilly happened and the episode really did a 360 from there.

As for the big reveal last night, it was as many speculated: The Mother plays bass guitar in the wedding band that performs at Barney and Robin's wedding.

You're the expert here. It's been a few years since I watched any old episodes.... is there ANY way they can cop out of the bass guitar woman being the mother by saying maybe she meets the real mother through her, or is there no getting around it... that's the mother, period?

 

[LoudClearVoice]

You're the expert here. It's been a few years since I watched any old episodes.... is there ANY way they can cop out of the bass guitar woman being the mother by saying maybe she meets the real mother through her, or is there no getting around it... that's the mother, period?

The woman they showed playing the bass guitar, is the mother. In "Girls vs. Suits" from season 6, I believe, Future Ted revealed that The Mother was Cindy's roommate and that she played bass guitar. In last night's episode Cindy said that they just had lunch with her "ex-roommate" and that "she plays bass guitar in the best wedding band in the tri-state area." Futhermore, in the 8th season premiere, they show Ted waiting at the train station when the mother arrives with her yellow umbrella and bass guitar. So, the woman they showed in the flashback, playing bass, has to be her. It would be too ridiculous if it's not. Plus, Future Ted said if Barney and Robin had a hired a DJ, he never would have met the mother (thus implying that the band they hired contained the mother, playing bass).

 

[jmt225]

Well, last night's episode was the most important in quite sometime.

The first 15 minutes or so I was just thinking how ******ed it was, but then of course it went full circle at the end and it turned out to be absolutely brilliant.

Spoiler

We found out for sure we will get to meet the mother in 45 days. I'm glad the show's not ending there after all. I'm going to look forward to seeing a season where Ted and YM's relationship develops. I also believe after last night that the mother is dead by 2030. Ted's remarkable speech seemed to really hint at that, so I think witnessing their love develop is every bit as important as just meeting her.

Also, I must praise Josh Radnor's acting last night. He was incredible during that final speech. Completely heartfelt and sincere. Best work we've seen from him to this point.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Well, last night's episode was the most important in quite sometime.

The first 15 minutes or so I was just thinking how ******ed it was, but then of course it went full circle at the end and it turned out to be absolutely brilliant.

Spoiler

We found out for sure we will get to meet the mother in 45 days. I'm glad the show's not ending there after all. I'm going to look forward to seeing a season where Ted and YM's relationship develops. I also believe after last night that the mother is dead by 2030. Ted's remarkable speech seemed to really hint at that, so I think witnessing their love develop is every bit as important as just meeting her.

Also, I must praise Josh Radnor's acting last night. He was incredible during that final speech. Completely heartfelt and sincere. Best work we've seen from him to this point.

I hope that the mother's not dead. That's the vibe I had from the episode, too. And for the first 15-18 minutes , the show kinda dragged on... then when all the major things happened with Ted, it picked up and became one of the best episodes in the entire series.

Thing is, the kids would be sad if the mom had passed that year right? First few episodes of the series, they were trying to leave, and were bored with everything. Sometimes, this show can be so gut-wrenching in the way it breaks things down. Not in a bad way, but in a 'man, I hope nothing else tragic happens kind of way.

The rest of this season's going to be awesome, though.

 

[jmt225]

I hope that the mother's not dead. That's the vibe I had from the episode, too. And for the first 15-18 minutes , the show kinda dragged on... then when all the major things happened with Ted, it picked up and became one of the best episodes in the entire series.

Thing is, the kids would be sad if the mom had passed that year right? First few episodes of the series, they were trying to leave, and were bored with everything. Sometimes, this show can be so gut-wrenching in the way it breaks things down. Not in a bad way, but in a 'man, I hope nothing else tragic happens kind of way.

The rest of this season's going to be awesome, though.

I've also read theories that Ted could basically be on his death bed telling the story, which would explain the patience of the kids to sit through it all. Also, after watching the final 5 minutes again, Ted's exact words were, "I'm always gonna love you, to the end of my days and beyond," which suggest that he might be reflecting on his life as much as he is because the end of his days are near.

This show has been as much, if not more so, of a drama as it's been a comedy, so it won't surprise me if the ending is super heavy and heartbreaking. We'll see in a year, but for now we have the meeting of the mother to look forward to, 43 days and counting....

 

[LoudClearVoice]

The season finale is May 13, and it's pretty much guaranteed that we will at the very least see Barney and Robin's wedding. Now that we know the mother is the bass player in the band, we know we'll at least see the mother (probably not her face) at the wedding.

The real question is, which way are they going to go with this? Will the episode end on that rainy night at Farhampton train station OR will the episode end right after the wedding, maybe with Ted heading to the train station?

If they're going to show us the mother and Ted dating next season and show their wedding in the series finale next year, then I do think they will show Ted and the mother meeting at in this year's finale.

IF they stick to their original plan of not showing the meeting until the series finale, then I think this year's finale ends right after the wedding (which goes "horribly wrong" according to Future Ted).

One interesting route they could go is not show us the mother and Ted meeting in this year's finale and have next year be a flashforward far into the future, showing what leads Future Ted to tell the children about how he met their mother. Is he dying? Is she dead? Would they do a whole season of all future characters? Seems pretty crazy but I don't see any other way they can have a full 9th season without revealing the mother, considering that in the show's timeline, the wedding is coming right up.

 

[Alastor]

The latest episode was definitely one of my favourite of the season, maybe even the series. I love absurd humour so I loved the first half of the show and the future Barney and future Ted subplot. The way they initially portray that only Ted and Barney could see their future selves made me think they were high or something. The background text in the female toilet was a hoot. I actually paused it later on to read the whole thing. References to Robot vs Wrestlers, Marshal's dancer hips, the coat-check girl and Robin Sparkles throughout the episode was great Easter eggs for long time viewers.

The ending with the yearning for more time with the Mother also made me think that either Ted or the Mother will be dead or is facing a crisis in 2030.
To be honest this episode felt more Community than HIMYM with the wicked dark tone to the episode even though we should be happy Ted is moving forward with his life at the end.

 

[ChrisHelms]

I just found this thread and yay people who also enjoy this show as much as I do. I didn't read alot of the later posts as I'm still catching up on some of the episodes, but I can't wait to watch them and then chat with you folks about it .

 

[Alastor]

Latest episode was solid but meh compared to episode 20.

Lilly and Marshal are still the cutest couple. Didn't get much laughs from this episode. Although existential film reference did bring a chuckle. Barney telling Ted Robin was marrying him instead of Ted was cold. Probably a plot point for the remaining episodes of the season.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Latest episode was solid but meh compared to episode 20.

Lilly and Marshal are still the cutest couple. Didn't get much laughs from this episode. Although existential film reference did bring a chuckle. Barney telling Ted Robin was marrying him instead of Ted was cold. Probably a plot point for the remaining episodes of the season.

I enjoyed last night.

The Barney comment was really out of character but ignoring his engagement to hot stripper chick (can't remember her name right now), it is understandable that this committment thing is still very new to him. Deep down he is nervous about being an honorable husband and still threatened by the unpredictably emotional Ted.

Between Robin comtemplating leaving the wedding pre-ceremony, Ted's hangups, Barney's hangups, and the ridonkulous body on the wedding planner it is easy to see how the wedding day really may turn out to be the "day everything went horribly wrong".

Speaking of bodies, the Italian dream girl has a smokin' hot body.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I hate the "Bro Mitzvah" episode at first but then when they revealed what was really going on, I loved it. I was thinking the entire time "this is Barney's bachelor party? What the hell?" When Robin threw the ring at Barney, I was so confused. I'm psyched for the final two episodes of this season, leading up to the wedding which will presumably be shown in the season finale.

At this point, I really don't see what more they can do with this series, so I wish they'd end it after this season. It sure seems like we're going to have a whole season with Ted and the mother next year. How can we have a whole season without the mother, considering that they might the night of the wedding and the wedding is happening in the season finale this year?

 

[Alastor]

Not really digging the episode. Could see the reveal which isn't a bad thing but it made no sense for them to show Robin and Barney's Mum having awkward talks if they were in on it from the beginning. Love seeing Quinn back even though it was a forgettable appearance. The clown's identity was a nice touch though.